U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,039 B2 has disclosed a method for switching off a two-stroke engine as soon as the two-stroke engine has achieved stable idling after starting. A rotational speed or rpm lock circuit is active during the start of the internal combustion engine and is deactivated only when the rpm lock circuit has been able to lower the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine below a deactivation rotational speed. This requires a certain time period, within which the user has to give the rpm lock circuit the opportunity to undershoot the deactivation threshold. If the user intervenes in the regulating process by prematurely opening the throttle, the rpm lock circuit remains active and the user cannot increase the rotational speed (rpm) to a working rotational speed.